Alcohol Abuse – Facts On Alcoholism

What can you do if you think you or a loved one may be committing alcohol abuse? Well if you think that you may have a problem, then chances are you do. Once you have the thought that you may be an alcoholic, it is time to seek help. There are many organizations available that can help you fight the addiction.

However, if it is a family member you are concerned about first ask yourself if the above questions would apply to them. Then realize that this is a serious issue and nothing about it is going to be easy. Don’t despair though there are solutions.

Let’s look at some facts.

Alcoholism is defined as continual overuse of alcohol despite negative social and or medical conditions. In other words someone who has had a driving while intoxicated ticket and continued to drink in excess and or drive.

The definition began in the early 1800’s and has been revised many times over the years. Alcoholism came into the spotlight with the inception of Alcoholics Anonymous in the 1930’s. Their program of steps has treated alcoholism as an illness. Alcoholism is a problem that leaves many broken lives in its path

How can you know if you or someone you love is an alcoholic? A common screening questionnaire has been used by professionals to determine the likely hood that you are abusing alcohol.

The CAGE questions:

Do you think you should Cut down on alcohol use?

Are you ever Annoyed when people criticize your alcohol use?

Do you ever feel Guilty when you are drinking?

Do you ever need an Eye-opener (a drink of alcohol first thing when you wake up)?

This is just one example of a screening process there are many other more in depth questionnaires that will aid in ascertaining the abuse and some of its causes.

A person who abuses alcohol will have a myriad of problems. They may be unable to pay their bills, drive while under the influence or even steal from you to support the habit. These are just a few of the possibilities there could be all or none of these present with your loved one.

What will be evident is they are addicted to alcohol. Realize you are not alone in facing this problem. There are many people facing the same issues with their loved ones.

Alcohol Abuse Statistics

The United Kingdom reports that one out of three adults drinks more than the recommend amount of alcohol. In the UK, the recommended amount is three or four units a day for men and two or three for women. A unit of alcohol is 10ml, for example, one pint of strong lager is equal to three units. It is important to note here that the UK recommendation does not mean you can save up several days’ worth and binge on the weekend.

Statistics in the United States say that approximately 14 million people are addicted to alcohol. In studies done on alcohol and heroine addicts it was found that, an absent father was a contributing factor in both addictions. Then of course, there is the heredity to consider.

With 6.6 million American children, living in a home with at least one parent who abuses alcohol it makes sense they may inherit the problem whether by genes or imitation the result will be the same.

In my opinion it really doesn’t matter if alcohol abuse is caused by learned behaviour, genetic predisposition or any other single or multiple traumatic event. At the end of the day there is abuse of a drug, albeit a socially acceptable drug and this must stop if quality of life is to be regained.

Read more about alcohol abuse on the following pages:Alcohol Related Deaths
Every year there are more and more alcohol related deaths. The manner in which the deaths occur vary from alcohol related diseases to accidents and suicides.

Physical Effects Of Alcohol
The physical effects of alcohol abuse are many and far reaching and they can vary from person to person. These physical effects can be mild but many of them can be very dangerous.

Alcoholism Statistics
It is important to study the different alcoholism statistics available if you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol use.

Alcohol Poisoning Statistics
According to alcohol poisoning statistics poisoning from alcohol is diagnosed in approximately fifty thousand cases in the United States alone every year.

Research Society on Alcoholism
Research Society on Alcoholism (RSoA) is an organization that encourages research to help solve alcohol-related problems.